Listen to your heart
by HuntersEve
Summary: Jackie didn't understand it, she had just learnt to say her name properly, "Jacqueline Renee Baird" She would say, being so little had made it hard to understand her. That was when she was six, now she's nineteen. Jack always had luck by her side that made her a good mechanic. When Jack meets Delta's mechanic why does she feel like luck isn't on her this time?
1. Chapter 1 Dreams

**Just an Idea I was playing on and got help from XGlacierSkyx who is helping me co-write this. I don't own anything except for Jack/Kaida so Eve out and a word from Glacier**

**Glacier: Hello readers we hope you enjoy this remember to R&R so... TA DA!**

* * *

_I know there's something in the wake of your smile,_

_I get a notion, from the look in your eyes_

**Jackie was sitting down on her father's lap. She was watching him fix the small stealth droid, if she asked he would say "To watch you and mummy when I'm gone to fight bad men" he said.**

**She had his hair, dirty blonde hair and crystal blue eyes, but contained her mothers facial features. For a little girl she was beautiful.**

**Jackie didn't understand it, she had just learnt to say her name properly, "Jacqueline Renee Baird" She would say, being so little had made it hard to understand her. Kaida her best friend and dog, was in the living room with their mother. "Okay now we have to give him a name, Jackie?" he father asked. **

**"JACK! DAMEON! The trucks here" Her mother yelled.**

**"Coming Lilly, geeze more terrified of your mother than the bad men Jack, hmm...I think that's a good name JACK for Jackie" He said tapping with the droid once more it became active and started dancing around Jackie following her where ever she crawled.**

**Her father picked her up and took her out the front of their small house, a truck pulled up and her father friend came out. **

**"Unc'e Coly" She said jumping off her father. The man bent over and being picked up Jackie she saw he wore top and military pants. "Hey little Miss Jack been keeping out of trouble?" He asked her. Jackie made a face and he laughed, "I guess not" he said. **

**"She nearly set the bodyguard droid on fire by trying to dress it up as a fairy" Her father laughed.**

**"Have you finally named it yet or is it going to be just pretty numbers?" His father's friend joked. **

**"It's going to download a set for us to choose between" Her father answered**

**Her father kissed her mother goodbye and gave Jackie a hug and placed his dog tags around her neck. "You keep them safe Jack, I won't be gone forever, keep your mother safe" he said before climbing into the truck and waved until they couldn't see him.**

**Jackie went into the backyard and played around on the small playground out back with her dog Kaida, she felt the ground ruble and hit the ground, Kaida licked her face until she woke back up, her head hurt she rubbed it and felt blood come down it. How long had she been on the floor sleeping? She thought stumbling back into her own house. She entered inside her mother was they're looking at her but not moving, she was on the ground in a heap and blood seeped out of her heart. **

**Jackie saw the broken window and screamed "Mummy!" She tugged on her mother's dress "Mummy! Wake up!" She screamed at her mother. She wasn't waking up, Jackie grabbed her hand and her mothers wedding ring slid off her fingers. Jackie grabbed it and hugged it running out of the house, only she was greeted by strange lizard looking men. "DADDY! Save me!" She screamed.**

Jack bolted up from her bed and fall off it, her roommate woke up to her thump. Sam Bryn rubbed her eyes and looked at Jack she got up and rubbed her shoulder.

"Same damn dream?" Sam asked.

"Yeah it never gets better" Jack got up and headed towards the shower they shared in a small bathroom.

"Wish you remembered your dream Kaida, it seems a bit off for that you seem all you remember is waking up" Sam said falling back on the bed and going back to sleep.

Jack sighed and looked at her mothers ring which was on her middle finger, she had one of her mothers teacups with a small chip in it and a small lock on her dog tags of her father to keep her safe. Her father's dog tags lay under her pillow and she kept them there when she slept or attached to her armour, she felt close to her parents that way. Even if she didn't know where the father was she knew where her mother was, she had long given up hoping he would come and save her.

Jack joined the COG when she was fifteen and lied about her age, she was tall enough but muscle was a different thing and she had proven she was worth it. Lucky she had inherited her father's skills with machines, got her a ticket to the frontline pronto. Not many mechanic's these days, rare as getting a break. Jack grabbed her belt and hooked her small pocket toolkit latched it to the belt before running outside and tied her blonde hair into a pony-tail.

"Kaida!" Her friend Terry Woods called to her.

Kaida had become her name around the base it meant 'fiery dragon' since she had a temper of a real one, also because they had found her with her dog's collar in her hand with Kaida written on it before she ran away from Jack.

Jack admitted it was wierd but she was really young when the locust attacked, probably five or six and the COG found her yelling at a dying locust to leave them alone. She didn't even know her age. She went over to Woods and knew he placed her to fix something she didn't want to.

"What is it Woods?" She asked.

"Delta Sqaud's coming in, they want you to do check up on weaponry, direct orders from command" Woods said.

"Delta huh? I thought they had their own mech?" She asked.

"They do, just the guy is an asshole. He's also a blonde like you, must run in the hair color or the mechanic part" Woods joked, Jack wacked him on the back of the head.

Jack headed into her workshop where a truck battered and dented to hell was lying in the middle. Jack grabbed her toolkit and began fixing underneath it and lay on a rollar-board she personally made and half used for skating when relaxing and that didn't happen often. She grabbed a spare engine part and fixed it in place when she felt someone enter the room. They were cursing and she just ignored them, something grabbed her foot and dragged her out.

"Who the hell is under there?" A man's voice said as she was pulled out with a wrench in hand to defend herself with if he got any idea's.

Jack stood up and looked him in the eye. He grabbed her arm rather hard, but Jack held her ground and looked him in the eye. "Jacqueline Renée Baird" she answered. "Who the hell are you?" she questioned leaving him gaping.

"Shit!" was all he said.

"Yeah you are, now let go of my arm asshole!" She snapped.

"Lady you can't order me around" he responded, why did it feel like he knew her? She tried thinking back, something must have placed him somewhere in her memories, right?

"You're a corporal" she concluded looking at what his uniform was. "I'm a Lt Captain! I can make you run the whole frigging base if I like now let go of my arm!" Jack pulled away.

"Yeah well…" he couldn't come up with a response.

"Am I interrupting something Captain and Corporal?" a voice came.

"Guess it's just another one of those days" she said before starting to fix the car. The man who owned the voice came in and looked at her questioning what was going on "Nothing Sarge, jut some dickhead in my garage" Jack said pointing to the blonde guy.

"Okay then, your on patrol in three hours don't forget!" He warned before leaving.

"Really that's all?" Jack asked,

"Yes..." he interrupted.

"Is it the radio again?" she questioned.

He handed it to her, the Sarge started going red as if embarrassed. "It's not picking up signals from as far as the comm tower," he said awkwardly. Jack grabbed it and fiddled with the dials, "I'll return it after patrol to see if it works" she said chucking it carelessly on a bench as the man left her alone with the blonde.

"This is your garage?" The blonde guy asked her.

"Yeah is that a problem?" she said placing her wrench up and grabbing her goggles to weld the car's bonnet back on, from the rack that contained her tools and other various stuff.

"No just didn't think a woman would be interested in mechanics, these days" he said.

"I wasn't originally from the beginning, but I had a knack for them like my father and they were needed in the COG. I guess that counted for something when I told them I wanted to be in the army plus they gave me a place to stay, sleep and food to eat. What's your name?" Jack asked looking up at him removing the goggles.

"Uh..." he trailed off.

"Nice to meet you, uh? Seriously though, what's your name?" she joked.

"Damoen Ramiraz" he said quickly.

An alarm sounded off and Jack quickly went to see outside, soldiers were rushing by to get into there sqauds and defense positions it had to be today didn't it? She thought. They just had to attack today, she ran inside to quickly place on her armour. The Ramiraz guy wasn't in here anymore probably with his squad, Jack didn't care she just didn't want to lose her home!


	2. Chapter 2 sometimes

_You've built a love but that love falls apart._  
_Your little piece of heaven turns too dark._

Baird did whatever he normally did when he found something out that scared the death out of him, consult Cole. Augustus Cole his best friend whom to speak was sitting down on a create and leaning playing with a dog, people were running past getting ready and Cole was just sitting there like it didn't matter.

"I found Jack!" He ran over to his friend.

"Well JACK is just there" he pointed over to where the stealth robot was in shut down mode.

"Not the JACK, the other Jack, you know Jack" he said frantically.

Cole thought that the years in the war were finally coming down on Baird, he had lost his child and wife on E-day along with his parents and any other type of family, te person who hit him the most was his daughter though, they never found her body. When Cole took him back to find it, half the house was collapsed and the other half had Lily, (Damoen's wife, just roll with it) on the floor dead, Jackie was never found.

"Man, listen to me. Lil and Jackie died, I know you miss them but man, they're gone" he said supportively.

Baird threw his hands up in fustration, "The mechanic in this base is a woman. I talked to her and she said her name is Jacqueline Renee Baird, she has dirty blonde hair and crystal blue eyes, other than that she lookes exactly like Lil did!" He said.

Cole thought if Baird was joking there was no way he'd make a joke about his dead wife and child and go this far with it. "Where she now?" Cole asked.

"She took off! I didn't even tell her who I was and she- there she is!" he pointed to the woman who had come out in armour thinner than any he had seen.

It had plates and that but it looked like plates but not as bulky as the ones they wore, also it was a blue green color. The armour made her look like a typical badass and had attached a riffle to her back. She ran over to them quickly, "What the hell are you two doing? Get the hell inside! Can't you see we're under attack" She barked at them.

"Is that what that alarm meant Captain...?" Baird sent a look to Cole to pay attention.

"I'm Captain Baird of Whisper Squad, most people call me Jack and sometimes Kaida. Now get the hell inside!" she ordered before running off again.

"See, she is Jackie!" Baird said. He and Cole ran into one of the bunkers and stayed there until they were found by Dom and Marcus, the two were sitting there and discussing what the hell was happening outside.

"Where the fuck have you two been?" Marcus asked.

"Just outside, talkin' to people and found out that Baird's daughter is still alive!" Cole boomed at the two who just let their chins drop. 'Way to go Cole...now they are going to tell and ask her before I do,' Baird thought to himself.

Dom got his voice back first, "You...You have a daughter? An actual...daughter?" he stuttered,

"Yeah she's blonde blue eyes and a real bitch! Also does machines" Baird said lightly, they were interrupted by a voice.

"Okay you all know the drill, sit tight until given the all clear and don't leave this bunker! Food and water are here also blanket and pillows if we end up staying in here for more than a few hours. Any questions will be answered by the door guards, do not open the door unless it is one of us and we say all clear" A feminine voice called, Jack was there giving out instructions and directing people she was about to head outside when Marcus stopped her, suprisingly she didn't recognise him.

"If you have any questions ask the door guards!" She warned pointing to them.

"I just need your name kid," he said casually.

"Jack Baird, I'm the local mechanic. Excuse me I need to go!" she said before going out. Marcus returned to the rest of Delta nodding in approval.

"Jackie grew up fast man! No longer a little girl, she's almost exactly like Lil was" Cole noticed.

"Now do you beleive me?" Baird asked fustrated.

"Wait if she's called Jack then why would you invent a robot called JACK?" Dom asked interested and confused.

"When my town was attacked on E-day I just said goodbye to Lilly my wife and Jackie who you have just seen. Three hours later the locust attacked, Cole drove me back we searched the house and found Lilly but not Jackie, instead of her we found JACK the robot, he was designed to be a friend and bodyguard for her until she could go around without getting hurt. So I named him JACK after her as a way of saying goodbye. I didn't even bother to check if she ran off from the house I just thought she was..." the sarcastic man was left speechless.

"Well, on a scale of one to ten, you're fucked if she doesn't know who you are yet" Cole bluntly said.

"That's just it, I don't know how to tell her" Baird said, they all groaned in return basically saying 'we hate you!'.

* * *

Jack was sitting on top of the radio station monitering the whole thing. She had set up camera's all over the place and was basically everyone's eyes and ears if they needed them, she only came down if they were too close to the base and the reading's that had been coming in, weren't stopping the chances of that no happening.

"Echo Five, Echo Four report in" she ordered through her earpiece. All she recived was static and no response except for a few letters of a sentance and that was if she was lucky, sometimes this happened and she had to clear up the signal. "I repeat Echo Five, Echo Four report in," she ordered again.

"Nothing to report, why are we on high alert. Nothing is out here Kaida, you still have our backs?" one said.

"Yeah I still have them, everyone has reported in," she informed. "No casualites, going off high alert" she flickered out the warning to everyone.

"Your damn father, whoever the hell he was would be jealous of this" Sarge said coming into the station.

Jack sighed, "Sometimes I wish I knew where he was and if he still knows who I am" she mumbled.


	3. Chapter 3 Tell her

_Listen to your heart_  
_when he's calling for you_

Jack headed back to her garage. She realised she wasn't alone when someone shouted "Cole train's in the house!" She felt her worse nightmare coming to life. Jack flicked her hair over her shoulder and went.

She had removed the top part of her armour which she was glad to have designed herself. The normal COG armour was too big for her to lift up on her shoulders so they had givn her parts and she had compromised with what she had.

And had taken care of everything else except fixing that cursed truck which was in the middle of her garage. It was getting dark inside and she turned on a lamp looking over the trucks designs. "Okay the motor needs overhaul. The wheels are slashed to bits, lucky I have spare and at the end of this I am going to get drunk" she decided.

Jack placed her green goggles on to help when under the truck so nothing fell in her eyes. She heard footsteps and she turned her head to face them. Damn she was getting tired of crawling around this thing!

"Anyone in here?" a gentle latin voice called out.

Jack slid out placing her goggles above her head. "Yeah, can I help you?" she asked getting up from the roller board. The man looked a bit shocked and surprised at her appearance.

"I need to see when the truck is being fixed. Can you tell me when?" he asked finally.

Jack faced it and sighed. "Not until next week if I'm lucky, these parts that are needed to fix this junk, we don't have even if I did trade and bribe people for them I couldn't get them. unless you have a spare car, you're not going anywhere" She explained. "Sorry I didn't catch your name?" she asked him.

"I'm Dom Santiago you?" he returned the question

"Jack Baird, most people call me Kaida though when their trying to be funny" she introduced leaning against the truck and heaving herself onto the bonnet.

"Why Kaida?"

"It's some language for firy baby dragon. I was kind of adopted by the people around here as a sister or something," she explained.

"Hey Santiago, what are you doing with the mechanic?" A voice boomed out.

"I swear the next person to walk through that door is going to get hit in the head" Jack swore. Right as she said that the blonde guy, Ramirez? She thought, walked through the door. Dom sen her a look and Jack picked up the lightest and nearest wrench and threw it at him.

"Hey!" he said.

"I made a promise I intended to keep. Next person who walked through got hit" she defended. Jack climbed off the bonnet and saw the rain starting to come down outside. "You might want to head back into your barracks I'm... what is that?" she asked pointing next to the blonde guy.

"What?" He asked her.

Jack came forward and bent over a little she tapped out in front of her and it was responded like hitting metal. "Stealth generator, smart" she complimented the mechanic on Delta. "His shimmer is just enough for people to see him if they have a well-trained eye, but not locust" she examined.

"Do you know what it is?" Dom asked.

"No clue, can you get it to disable the generator?" Jack asked nicely.

"JACK stop being invisible" The blonde guy said.

It faded and Jack thought the robot was a bug for a minute. It looked cute to her. She ran a hand over the top of the machine. It felt familiar and she saw a burn mark. Like the one she had caused in her dream "_Fariy guard_" she mumbled to herself inaudible for those who could have heard her.

"I'm not invisible, the machine is" she pointed out.

"No the robot is called JACK" Dom explained.

"It stands for Just Another Crazy Kid to have on the team" The blonde half joked. "He is.."

"Over two feet tall. Has blue eyes so it can do scans in different lights. It's weapons consist of a ripping mechanism and the equipment is a handtorch cloaking shield and a UAV. Am I right?" Jack asked after listing off everything that Delta had known about it.

They gave her a wierd look. "I had a mechanic for a father and he also built one which I may have lit on fire when I was little. Plus I have the blueprints to this outback" she said. Standing up fully she started to walk outside. "Well goodnight, last one out turn off the lights" she called over her shoulder.

* * *

Baird looked at Dom. Then to the door where Jack had just left. First thing that came to his mind was the first thing he said. "Holy shit! She actually knows how to fix things"

Dom laughed. "And she...oh god she's..." he kept laughing at Baird's face.

"Spit it out!" Baird snapped getting annoyed at being laughed at.

Dom could finally breathe straight without laughing aloud. "She's different to how I expected her to be" he finally said. "And she's a socialist than you that's for sure" he added.

Cole came in a few minutes latter. "This place is big. Even bigger than your one baby, how'd it go anyway?" he asked.

"He didn't tell her yet" Dom answered for Baird.

Baird decided to take a look around her garage. Tools were all on benches along with parts and other projects and blueprints and pictures that were taken were on another or pinned up on a board. She even had ann assignment list up and crossed off jobs that had been done or scrapped. "Well..." he looked around.

"Well what?" Cole asked sitting on a crate which was empty.

"She's defiantly spends more time in here. Look at all of this, she made it or fixed it all. And now this is becoming a nightmare! I don't even think I _want_ to tell her. Look how much she's done without me" he said.

"You're going to have to soon, she might be pissed if she figures it out when her squad is going out with ours" Dom told him.

"How'd you know that?" he demanded.

"Easy I listen in at meetings" Dom said as he and Cole left Baird to look at his daughters work.

He was actually amazed at how much she had done for this base. Set up a network and ways to see what was coming in without putting people in danger, fixed nearly every vehicle to make sure it was ready if they evacuated, she was just as smart as him. He grabbed some blueprints she had drawn on and mucked around with. These designs were good. Really good.

He hadn't even noticed him falling asleep when he sat down on a couch that was on the far side of the garage when he woke up a blanket was over him and someone was humming trying to fix something. "I thought I said last one out turn off the lights" a voice said.

Jack was welding something together and had her goggles over her eyes. It reminded him even more of when Lilly helped him fix something when they were younger. "How long have I been asleep?" he asked.

"I came in here two hours ago and was asleep for three so around five" She answered.

"You come here in the morning and late at night?" he asked.

"I get breaks in the midday or in the late night when I am lucky. It's okay because that's generally when I'm needed most" she handed him a cup of something he hadn't tasted in a long time that tasted brilliant.

"You have coffee?" he asked.

She sipped from a mug that rested on a near-by bench. "Mnn hmm...I get it from a supply man who is kind to me" she said. "I fixed his trailer for carrying things in and he gives me a small tin every three months, which is funny cause I still have another four I haven't opened yet. Remind me to give to one" Jack added.

"What was your father like? You mentioned him earlier" Baird finally asked her.

Jack sat on a stool across from him. "Uh...from what I can remember he was kind, he helped a lot of people out in my hometown I think mainly because my mother made him" she chuckled a little.

"He always looked out for me when he was home and his best friend from what I remember was a cougar player for Thrashball and he was a sharks. Lot of funny things happened when he invited him over and I thought of him as an uncle. They would never stop arguing over which one was better! But yeah, he was just happy when around me" she said. "I don't remember much else" she added. "What 'bout you? Who'd you have?" Jack asked.

Here it come. Now she would have to know. "I had a wife and little kid, my parents disowned me when I married my wife. But renowned me when their grandchild was being born because they needed an heir," he said.

Jack bit her lip "Ouch! They really sound like..."

"Pricks?" he offered.

"I was going for something more subtle" she said. "So what it a boy or girl?"

"A little girl" Baird answered.

"What was her name?" she asked.

Here it finally was...the moment of truth...the big revelation. "Her name was yours. It was Jacqueline Renée Baird"


	4. Chapter 4 Drunken nights

_Listen to your heart_  
_there's nothing else you can do._

Jack bolted from the garage as soon as she heard those words. She ran outside the gates into the city trying to get away. But she knew she had to go back. She always went back and had to do her job.

She felt her head cool down as soon as she approached the old factory she used to come to as a kid to run away from the soldiers. It was usually abandoned and she ran into one of the offices on the top floor trying to hide.

"No, no, no, no, no, no! Damn him!" She said sinking to the floor. "Why'd he have to say that? Why did he have to answer that?" she demanded to empty air.

She heard her radio turn on. It crackled to life and replayed the same message. She didn't want to answer. "Captain, come in? Can you hear me? Report in!" She picked it off her belt slowly.

"This is Jack. I read you, Sargent over" she said.

"Come back to base honey," she tensed at the nickname but everyone knew it was wither honey or the other one she so detested. "We got a new mission" was all he said.

Jack pulled herself together and slowly walked back to base. She walked past the guards and into the base showing her tags slowly to the debrief room. The almighty asshole was waiting for her as if he knew her. Jack remembered when they met ages ago that he tensed up at her last name. Know she knew why. He knew. That bastard knew!

"Captain glad you could finally make it!" Prescott said. She didn't bother to salute.

"What do you need me for?" she asked rudely.

"Captain. We need you to also do an overhaul on the computers in the debrief room. Also on further not, you and your team is being sent with Delta to find the hollows." Bam! That was all you got from him. The truth which fucked you up or the lie which got you fucked up later on.

"Yes sir, I understand" she said.

She approached the rest of her team and nodded to Sarge who nodded back. He thought she was just tired and had a nervous breakdown. That was understandable, but too far from the truth. She could ask him on it. He loved helping her with her troubles. Especially since she saved his ass a couple of times when they were younger, they grew up around each other and knew when something was bothering her. That's why he enlisted with her. To keep her safe.

"What's up?" he whispered to her.

"Nothing" she whispered back.

"You've been crying" He noted.

"I just…remembered something painful okay. I'm over it" she said lying through her teeth.

She followed them into the debrief room where maps were scattered around and so where computers trying to find and keep eyes on things that would tell where a squad was and where they had been before. She saw Delta and Whisper gathered around and she saw a familiar one raise his head. She kept her gaze down. Walking straight over to the main computer she bent down and pulled off the front. Jack climbed under it and fixing while half paying attention to the mission.

"Almost got it" she said. The wires sparked. Jack dropped them. "Done signal's cleared" she climbed out and told them.

"Took your time, Kaida" Woods said teasing her.

"Ha frigging ha. You're hilarious. I'm serious your killing me!" she joked and started receiving stares from the other team. "What?" she asked. "Seriously, what's wrong?"

"Dismissed" Prescott said.

Jack turned to leave but was stopped by two of Delta's squad. "Who are you?" She recognised him from the bunker and nicknamed him the Bandana guy.

"I told you earlier" she said. "Just because it's my name, doesn't mean I accept it or who gave it to me" Jack knew she was going to pay for that one later on. When they had the chance to make her pay.

"Jack! You're coming right? We have fifteen hours to sleep rest and get ready. Plus we may hit the bar" Woods said poking his head out the door.

"Yeah tell Sarge I just want to finish this. I'll meet you down there" she said.

Jack watched them all leave except the one who held her gaze all through this. "Aren't you going with them?" she asked.

"Later, after you tell me why you freaked out" he said.

"Let's see. One, I was five or six when you left probably not even that old. Then you rock up fifteen years later expecting me to accept that! Two, you didn't tell me when we first met so what did you think was going to happen? Three, I saw everyone I loved die I am not going through that again! Don't you dare make me change that happened when I just got over it, for gods sakes!" Jack nearly yelled at him.

"I thought you were dead Jackie, I didn't know because we never found you. You think it was easy on me to? It wasn't I didn't tell you because I knew you would react like this!" he said "Where the hell did you even go?"

"I was taken to a locust prison camp. One day on the barges they fucked up. The locust fucked up and the worst part is I wish they hadn't. Don't tell me you don't know what it is like and stay the hell away from me!" Jack demanded leaving the room.

She ran outside to the Whispers and followed them into the bar. Sarge nudged her as they all walked there. They would most likely be drunk for two hours and sleep the rest off so no one even dared driving.

"What happened? And what did that asshole do to make you cry?" he asked. Jack didn't answer. "Jack I can you were crying, not many might have but I do"

"I said before something just upset me. That's all okay?" she said.

"Sure" he said.

Five minutes later Woods asked her the same thing. He knew something was wrong because she wasn't talking or even trying to act like her usual self. "I'm fine! What's with everyone today? Did I miss the pick on the tech wiz meeting?" She joked.

Woods wouldn't press it and she knew him enough to know that he wanted to know. He saw something that caught his eye he got a wierd grin and Jack followed his gaze as they passed a group of men sitting on crates.

"No!" She squealed in laughter.

He grabbed her hand and ran across the street. "Can you give us two celtic friendship knots on the lady's shoulder?" He asked.

They nodded and Jack sat down as they tattooed her arm. "I'm going to kill you!" She threatened Woods who laughed at her. "You already have one why do I must have two overlapping each other?" She asked.

"Because it looks better" He responded.

She winced as the pain settled in. After the artwork on her arm was done Jack thanked the men who had done it and they headed off towards the bar again. Sarge spotted them as they entered and called them over, he saw the new tattoo on Jack and passed her a glass of beer to press against it taking and numbing the pain away. "Really?" He finally said to her.

"Really what?" She asked.

"We're in the middle of a war, you go piss off Delta's mechanic and on top of that get a tattoo. What's gotten into you Jack? Your all over the place" Sarge said.

"Woods asked me the same thing! I'm FINE!" she mumbled. "I think he's a little drunk though. I'm going to take him outside for a bit wanna come?" Jack noticed her friend groaning in pain. Sarge shook his head in wonder and started laughing. "What?" Jack asked.

"Woods likes you a lot Jack. Don't make him confess it with a hangover" Sarge said smirking at her.

Jack rolled her eyes and walked over to where Woods was sitting in a drunken phase. "Bloody lightweights" she mumbled. She pulled him away from the crowded pub out onto the street and sat on the pavement to smell the clean air, or cleaner than the pub in their case.

She got bored easily and made a random conversation. "What's the randomest thing you have ever done that's your best memory?" She asked.

"Asking you to marry me" He grinned.

Jack smiled, she started remembering the deal they made the first day they met. She went on her first mission that was meant to be a field excercise gone wrong and ended up in hospital because of a shot that scrapped along her shoulder. It broke her collarbone before Hayman fixed it after much scolding and Woods came by joking if he hadn't of saved her she wouldn't get to marry a pretty face. And she responded saying "Any pretty face that isn't yours" then he jokingly proposed and they made a joke of being engaged.

"Yours?" he asked.

"Graduation day from basic when I jumped off the pier into the water with a bottle of Vodka in one hand..." she giggled. Woods nudged her to continue. "...Bottle of vodka and my bra in the other" she admitted.

"That's gonna be one of my dying memories" Woods joked. Jack leaned her head on his shoulder.

"I wish we did this more" Jack admitted. "I wish we had more drunk nights. They make it all go away until you need it back"


	5. Chapter 5 Only promise

_I don't know where you're going and I don't know why,_ _but listen to your heart before you tell him goodbye._

Jack climbed on the raven carefully watching her footing. She really hated these things, they seemed unstable and were always crashing around when you didn't want them to. On top of that they were always needing matiance work done on them nearly every day just to make sure there wasn't anything genuinely wrong with it. She hated this part of her job. She really hated heights!

"What am I going to do?" She listened in and tuned her radio into Delta's channel.

"Man you did the right thing. She needed to know who you were, baby even if she hates you and you die at least you have one less regrets" She heard a voice. Who was that? Why did he have a familiar voice?

_'Unc'e Coley!' a little girls voice screamed._

_"Hey little miss Jack" The mans voice said back._

"Cole's right you did the right thing" another one said.

"Yeah and she bolted from the room quicker than I could blink" She could hear him say. She didn't bother checking the controls on her own radio earpiece and she was carefull not to say anything so they couldn't hear her if she did it could be heard by them.

"Eavesdropping Kaida? It won't do you any good" Sarge said sitting next to her.

"Nor does the rain, but I still want a rocking chair and shotgun out on the back porch. How's you know I was listening to what they were saying?" Jack asked.

"Easy I know you. I learnt how to read you, even in these shit day's I still know you. When you're listening to something you're not supposed to like a little child you cross your fingers as if making a wish. When you lie or feel insecure you cross your arms and try to lock yourself out. You act like a smart jackass when you are confused or don't understand. Jack no matter how much you deny it, no matter how much you hang around machines, you're as human as us. Maybe you should hear him out" Sarge said.

"You know?" She asked him.

"Kind of easy considering you both look-alike and both have the same attitude" He responded.

Jack smiled. "And that's why I am glad your my Sarge. You see stuff I always miss" She said.

"Ah, don't get all sentimental on me" Sarge responded.

"If I didn't then something would seriously be wrong. Besides what's wrong with sentimental?" she asked.

"Well your daddy sure isn't" Sarge said. "Don't you dare lock this out Jackie, we need to talk about this"

She looked at him and opened her mouth to protest "My father is dead" she said.

"Funny cause that other guy on Delta looks a lot like you and has the same attitude along with the smarts as well. Jack stop and think do you have a proper rason to be mad at him?" Sarge asked.

Jack accepted his advice as usual. But this she couldn't forgive for anything! "He left me. I was six years old and saw my mother killed and he didn't bother looking for me. He named a machine after me as a mourning symbol. As far as I am concerned he is not my father!" Jack rummaged around in the raven looking for what needed to be fixed.

"Jackie why do you hate him then?" Sarge asked.

"I hate him because he left. He gave up on me and what's even worse about it... he didn't even say goodbye" Jack answered.

Sarge hugged her as she sat down feeling anger hatred and pain... but what's worst of it was she felt guilty. Guilty that she never bothered to look for him as well and now it was breaking her to pieces that she was taking this out on him and Sarge.

Jack realised something she hadn't known before. "I have known you for nearly three years and I...I still don't know your name" She told him.

Sarge laughed at her. "You never asked, ever. You and Woods both don't know it honey" Sarge answered. "It's Jery Tate" He said.

"Yes Sargent Tate" She mockingly saluted. "This should be fixed soon, I promise" Jack swore.

"Good keep it" he said. "Both of them promises"

"Don't I always?" She dared asking,

"Cheeky bitch" he responded walking away.

"Protective asshole" She responded.

* * *

Bernie had noticed the Baird was looking like crap. Even worse than he actually he usually. "What's wrong Blondie?" she asked.

_"Eavesdropping Kaida? It won't do you any good" Sarge said sitting next to her._

_"Nor does the rain, but I still want a rocking chair and shotgun out on the back porch. How'd you know I was listening to what they were saying?" Jack asked._

_"Easy I know you. I learnt how to read you, even in these shit day's I still know you. When you're listening to something you're not supposed to like a little child you cross your fingers as if making a wish. When you lie or feel insecure you cross your arms and try to lock yourself out. You act like a smart jackass when you are confused or don't understand. Jack no matter how much you deny it, no matter how much you hang around machines, your as human as us. Maybe you should hear him out" Sarge said._

_"You know?" She asked him._

_"Kind of easy considering you both look-alike and both have the same attitude" He responded._

_Jack smiled. "And that's why I am glad your my Sarge. You see stuff I always miss" She said._

_"Ah, don't get all sentimental on me" Sarge responded._

_"If I didn't then something would seriously be wrong. Besides what's wrong with sentimental?" she asked._

_"Well your daddy sure isn't" Sarge said. "Don't you dare lock this out Jackie, we need to talk about this"_

He switched the radio off. The sarge called her Jackie and had treated her better than he ever could when they talked to each other when she was so much younger.

"Hey Bernie" he responded.

What? No loud smartass comment? He sounded empty and...actually sad? What the hell had happened to him being a jackass? "Hey when are you giving me these grandchildren that you promised?" she joked knowing their jibe that would usually end in her winning.

Baird looked over to the raven that lay in the airfield that was broken and battered. Bernie looked over and saw a young dirty blonde haired woman in tank top and black pants, she probably nineteen or twenty step outside with a toolbox in hand and rub her forehead as the rain came down on them.

"You like her?" Bernie asked raising an eyebrow.

"Your sick Bernie! You think I like my own daughter like that-" he realised what he said as soon as it came off his tounge.

"Your what!?" Bernie demanded an answer. Baird actually shrieked under the older womans question. "When the hell did you have a daughter? Who would be dumb enough to shack up with you in the first place?" Bernie kept wanting answers and she was getting them.

"My ex-wife who died and now my smart assed daughter hates me to death because I thought she died when she was four frigging years old. Then I showed up and told her so she is pissed off! Bernie I really am not in the mood for this!"

Baird stormed away leaving Bernie to look at the young woman working who only looked up when she saw Baird storming away. The woman had guilt creep across her face before shaking her head and pulling down her goggles reluctantly. Bernie walked over to her to get some answers off her.


	6. Chapter 6 When you go

_Sometimes you wonder if this fight is worthwhile._  
_The precious moments are all lost in the tide, yea._

Jack finally managed to give the raven an engine overhaul after much colorful talking and yelling at it and throwing a spanner at it a couple of times. That was now finished and she could use the raven for spare parts to use on another vehicle. It was a lost cause trying to save it and that was a bit beyond her ability.

"Hey you?" A woman who was a lot older than her came forward and Jack wiped her forehead once more to remove sweat that had been in there.

"Can I help you?" Jack asked heaving for air from it being stuffy on the raven.

"I'm Bernie. And you?" Bernie asked.

"I'm Jack B-" She went to correct herself. "I'm just Jack, my name is Jack"

What the fuck did you do to Damon Baird?" She asked.

"Nothing it's what he did to me." Jack answered.

"He told you the truth that he was you old man and you hate him for it? Lots of people would be thrilled to be reunited with their family" Bernie told her.

Jack laughed sarcastic as her father did when he laughed. "And did he tell you that he just gave up looking for me. I have spent nearly fifteen damn years without him. I don't need him to tell me how much we both got screwed up. He's a bastard and I really don't care what the hell he does is none of my business just as long as he stays away from me!"

Bernie frowned at her refusal to accept Baird as her family. "If you hate him for that I would hate to see what would happen if he took over your shed" She mumbled walking away.

"Hey Bernie?" Jack called out after her.

Bernie turned around. "What Jack?" She asked.

"If he asks whether I am going to talk to him ever, he'll have to wait until at least I'm dead. I'm not the forgiving type. I just don't do it easy, people have to earn it" Jack said. "Also tell him that the fairy needs a new dress, he will get it if you say it trust me" Jack answered.

"Bernie turned smiling a little. It wasn't much but it was a start for Blondie to get her to speak to him.

* * *

Jack headed back to service her armor. She really needed to fix it and she also needed to sleep in three hours they were moving out and fighting tired was worse than fighting drunk or blind. Probably worse than both. She blinked her eyes and turned on a small little lamp working in her shed couch.

Her head fell on to her shoulder and she closed her eyes her armor was spread across her lap she kept trying to keep herself awake but failed. She heard footsteps outside closing her and took a wild guess who it was. She fell asleep just as they entered.

Someone laid a blanket on top of her to keep her warm and removed the armor from her lap placing it on a nearby bench and placing her legs up on the couch so she could sleep properly. "Thanks Sarge. Radio isn't finished yet I'll get it done" She mumbled turning her head into the couch

When she woke up two hours later she saw her armor was fully done and set up ready for her along with Sarge's radio complete and a small picture of- "Mother" she picked it up. Her head was still tired but she shook it off and looked at the picture more. Damn her mother looked so much like her! No wonder she inherited more of her than her father.

She looked at a note written on the back of the photo. _Two months along with little Jack. Turns out the baby is a girl!_

Jack placed on her armor and tucked the picture into her back pocket to keep safe. Who would have a picture of her mother? She headed outside to the awaiting Whisper squad rubbing her head confused.

"Something wrong Kaida?" Terry asked her.

"Nothing baby, I'm just a little confused. Woke up like an hour ago, anyway where is Delta?" Jack asked.

"They got to leave early. I heard that the mechanic tried to talk to you before they left but you were asleep on the couch" He said.

"Didn't Sarge come in?" She asked.

"No he was in command the whole time with me. And I do mean the whole time. Wouldn't leave me alone because I asked him the wrong question" Woods said.

So did he...?

No he couldn't and wouldn't have if he knew how mad she was.

"Why do you ask?" Woods questioned her.

"No reason. Come on let's go" She said climbing into the vehicle they had and started the engine.

"Are you sure you're fine?" The two men that had looked out for her half her life both asked.

She looked at the picture. Maybe forgiving him wouldn't be so bad? No! That wasn't her, and forgiving people these days, you may as well be dead for it!

Jack fake smiled for the two. "Don't you know anything? I'm a woman of course I am fine"

Little did she know by the time she actually was it would be too late. As soon as they left the compound or base they were driving safely on the road and got hit by a landmine. The truck over turned and burning Jack barely climbed out as the smoke engulfed the truck.

"Sarge?" She cried looking for her friend. "Terry honey?" She asked using a passive voice shuddering. Her hands blistered and red along with a bloodied leg and head was making her feel like she had a concussion.

"Anyone?" She screamed for her squad.

She saw a body. "No!" She screamed running to it. "No Sarge! Sarge wake up! Tate!" She sobbed feeling the pain now harder than ever.

Something grabbed her shoulders. She turned pulling out a pistol to Wood's forehead before lowering it. "Everyone is dead, Jack come on we have to get back before dark, lets move" He yelled at her.

Grabbing her arm and throwing it around his neck they quickly walked trying to run away. "How much ammo do we have?" She asked.

Terry didn't have his top part of armor on and had a massive cut on his abdomen. "Oh god Woods!" She swore when she had seen it. "Not much ammo. Jack you're going to have to trust me it doesn't hurt, let's go" he pulled her along.

Jack saw locust moving in towards the truck. The tears of pain and anger coming down her face were hurting from where she had been cut up in the crash. He pulled her into a cave and they sat near the back and waited.

"What do you remember?" Woods asked her.

"I was in the truck a bang went off. I got blinded for a few minutes and felt tumbling I was unconscious for a few minutes. When I woke up I was on the ceiling of the truck and I pulled myself out. When I could stand I looked around for you and saw... Sarge and...the squad dead" She recounted while he checked for concussion.

"Jack it's not your fault," he said. "No one could have seen this coming" he kissed her forehead and she started tending to his wounds not speaking for a few minutes.

"But it is. I was driving the truck I should have seen the landmine!" She told him dabbing at the stomach wound.

"Just because you were driving the truck doesn't mean anything. I was lookout! I should have seen it before you" Woods said. "We have to wait here until nightfall" he said.

"Woods are you insane!? There is Kyrll at night and they know how to kill" Jack said checking if he had a concussion.

"We don't have much ammo and grubs and locust don't attack at night! It's too dangerous for them. I'd rather die of Kryll than locust Jack. And I know you would too after your days of imprisonment on a locust barge" He told her.

Jack nodded and waited.

"Okay then, let's run away back home"


	7. Chapter 7 That you will listen

_They're swept away and nothing is what it seems,_  
_the feeling of belonging to your dreams._

"This is Captain Baird! Can anyone read me!? I need help! We have wounded and KIA along with everything else being fucked!" A voice called through to the command radio.

Baird shot up from the computer he was fiddling with, to hear the call.

"Is that Jackie baby?" Cole asked.

"Can someone answer the fucking call! Dammit command where the fucking hell are you!? You bastards" the call came through again in Jack's voice.

"Yep that's her, she always was good with poetry" Baird said.

"What happened?" Marcus asked coming into the small room.

"This is Captain Baird of Whisper squad calling in for back up or evac immediately" gunfire could be heard in the distance. "Sargent Tate and the others are dead, corporal Woods and I are the only surviving members we are wounded and low on ammo. Command are you there?" Jack's voice was full of desperation and pain.

"This is Sargent Fenix, what the hell is going on out there?" Marcus said through the radio in the command center.

"Too...much..." Her responses were breaking up. "...Lot's...of... fucking Kyrll!" the response cleared a little giving them an answer. "Trying...to... back...base...fifteen clicks...way" She answered static was still interfering despite the amount of power going in to clear it up.

"Coperal...sorry...I...for...what...I...said...about...you" she added before it went dark in static.

Cole looked at Baird who was about to lose it. "She's fine. She can handle locust and this is no different" Baird said quickly.

"Baird...she can't make that" Dom said.

"Santiago I'm not giving up on her. You haven't for Maria so I'm not for her!" Baird snarled.

"Maria is different she isn't in a Kryll nest Baird, Jack is just a kid" Marcus frowned at the corporal.

"Jack survived on a locust prison barge after I first lost her. If she can survive that she can do this" Baird said. They left him behind to hear the rest of the transmission of her distress call playing over and over again.

Jack gripped in pain as Terry helped her run and limp towards the nearest shelter. A bomb went off nearby making her duck her head into his shoulder.

"Jack it's okay. I'm not going to let them hurt us" Terry said comforting her as they ran at maniac pace.

"We are going to make it" he pulled her gently to the ground as they avoided Kryll.

Jack looked up the sky to see them swarming above lucky they couldn't reach them inside the shelter. This was hell, half of the night waster on trying to find a road back home. Jack thought if it looked like death was coming she had once last request to do.

"Terry...," she started. He looked at her and the blood on his stomach and face was starting to come out again. "I think we should get married" she said.

"We are remember?" he said joking.

"No I mean, uh, I mean right now here" she said. He half smiled.

"Honey I agree but you picked a shit date to do this" he said at least trying to lift the depression.

"Honey I know. Okay do you take me Jaqueline Renée Baird to be your fucked up un-true to the whatever law we have these days wife?" she asked.

"I do" he joked.

"I do to" Jack said back as they clinged to each other to keep warm.

"You know next time this happens I'm bringing a shotgun along" Terry said.

"Why?" she asked curling up to him feeling pain shoot through her leg.

"So we can have a 'shotgun wedding' what do you think?" he asked.

"Okay, that's just terrible and you know it" she played along.

They sat in silence for a few minutes trying to catch their breaths. They got up after he had to hep her up gently and strongly half carrying her they kept going and Jack pulled out her pistol running out of ammo and firing it as hard as she could without the concussion interfering. A Krylle swooped them causing them to go hade in a ditch area with cover to hide them as daylight approached. Jack fiddled with her radio as it was the only one working as Woods fell asleep.

_When I get back I'm going to kill anyone who makes bad jokes like that again. _She swore to herself. But when she did get back, it would be all to late.

Baird lent against the radio half asleep and praying that her voice the one that sounded as pretty as Lilly's but as sarcastic and hard as his would come through. He just waited knowing and feeling how hopeless he was to try to help her.

"This is Baird here" the voice finally came through.

"I don't know whether command is going to receive this but I doubt it because no signal is going to hear this but, I don't care. I stopped caring years ago what happened to me after this world turned to hell, sometimes I try to catch myself actually giving a damn but then I remember how fucked up this life turned out to be because no one is going to help you. Not just for you unless they want something in return" she said.

He looked up in surprise. No wonder she rejected him with this view of the world but then again this was what he thought of it once to before someone changed his mind years ago that no matter how hard it was and that nothing went planned it was out of their control and to get over it. She kept talking though as if to prove she was alive.

"Hmm one thing I think you should know is that you're not the only person who claims they are my family. You're actually my fifth. Most of the others are dead though" She admitted obviously now talking about him not knowing where or if he was listening.

"I guess the one thing I miss and remember from the old world before the locust was the way you told me stories when I was a little kid. They made me laugh and cry, I always remember how you'd put the goggles on my forehead and the dog tags around my neck, the way you would promise me you'd come back for me always. When I believed that so much I, I uh...never wanted to let that go but I had to because if I hadn't I would be so stuck in the past my life would fail. I said I hated you because I didn't want to go back there ever, I hate the past because if you linger too much on it you never move forward" Jack continued.

Static started interfering again.

"And if you can hear me dad I'm-" it broke off.

He had enough of waiting, there was nothing he could do but have to wait though! Baird sighed and went to her garage checking her things again before knocking over a small metal box which had coffee labeled on the side. It shook but not of the sound of coffee, he opened it t smell of coffee was definitely there but inside was his old dog tags and Lilly's wedding ring along with a picture of them all sitting in a park together. Jack looked too innocent then for him to believe what he had seen two days ago was her.

"Run home Jack, just run"


	8. Chapter 8 To her dreams

_Listen to your heart_  
_when he's calling for you._  
_Listen to your heart_  
_there's nothing else you can do._

Jack startled awake, she looked at Woods who was sleeping still. Jack tried her radio again but no clear signal came into view, "Dammit!" she ran her fingers through her hair.

They had run and traveled five clicks and still had ten to go on foot. The pain in her legs was getting worse and even though he acted like it wasn't going to hurting Wood's was nearly dead as infection started travelling in. They got up stumbled, rested got up again and did the same routine so many times the night before that it was getting to hard to tell where they were.

Terry opened his eyes, they moved again but as they were travelling as fast as the pain would allow them, Wood's started to stumble. He fell to the ground right before Jack could catch him.

"Terry get up!" she said.

He was unconscious and couldn't hear her.

"Terry?! Terry please get up!" She started crying, the Sarge, her squad and now her best friend were going to leave her. "Terry come on we can't leave you or stay here" She tried carrying him.

He was making her collapse as soon as their weight got balanced. Jack collapsed her leg was bleeding like hell and there was nothing she could or would do. She just wanted to give up. Jack lay down besides Woods and draped his arm across her so they could share body heat in the coldness around them.

"I'm sorry" she whispered before closing her eyes and going to what seemed like a final rest for her.

She was out of time, luck and energy, everything she was fighting for was gone and the worse part was she was too far gone to realise someone was coming for her, just as she had given up.

Slight Jack's P.O.V

_Jack, Jack? Where are you?_

_"Mummy?" I whisper._

_"Jack? How many times, stay out of your fathers shed, I know you miss him, but remember, he's only gone away to stop the pain of this world from reaching us. And he loves us he really does, he's just on his way back home only it's going to take a long time._

_"Mum!" I yell trying to figure out where the voice was coming from_

_"And he loves you he really does, you won't see him for a while but he loves you. And he'll come back for us that's a promise" _

_Normal P.O.V_

Jack awoke with a blanket tied around her to keep herself warm.

"What the...?" She sat up slightly as pain jabbed her hip and leg.

'I wasn't injured in my hip? Was I?' she thought lifting her head to inspect the bandage along he leg, her pants were gone and she remained in her underwear and tank top she wore under armor only.

"You and your friend are okay, your safe here" A voice called. Jack turned, a tiny old woman with a cloth came forward pushing her back down as she removed the blanket to see Jack's leg which was now cleaned of blood.

"Where am I?" Jack asked.

"You really don't remember me Jacqueline? You used to come in with that dog of yours and destroy my garden and your mother would come in make you apologise then you would come back two days after with your father, new flowers in hand when you thought I wasn't angry anymore. You father often said 'that girl will be hard to keep track of in her teens while I'm chasing away boys'" The woman said.

Recognition filled Jack's mind. "Mrs Traylor, how did you know it was me?"

She handed Jack a picture, Jack smiled o see it was safe, she folded it into her bra despite the look on Mrs Traylor's face. "Keeps them safe to my heart" she said convincingly trying to be innocent.

"I called the local COG soldiers they said they would send someone to come get you and your friend who kept mumbling you were married now" She raised an eyebrow at Jack who shrugged.

"I guess people do crazy things" She said.

"Sleep child, we'll have you better in the morning" Mrs Traylor said leaving her.

Jack fell back down and looked over to see Terry asleep. She crawled over to him gently and quietly, and tapped him on the chest until he caught her hand, "Kaida go to sleep" He said.

"Terry you know what this means right?" Jack asked grinning slightly and very quietly. She lay her head on his chest while he blinked his eyes open, she giggled when he started playing with her hair and mumbling about how she looked like a golden angel then told her to get some pants on which she happily complied.

"No? What does it mean honey?" He questioned.

"I want a divorce" Jack joked.

"Not my golden angel then." He teased kissing her forehead. "Where are we?"

"With my old next door neighbour. She's a friend, and a very good cook" Jack mumbled.

"So we are safe?" Terry questioned.

"As safe as this can get" Jack responded before falling asleep again on Wood's. She shook her head as an old memory came back.

_"Daddy, what will the robot do when your gone?" She questioned tilting her head._

_"Keep you safe Jack I already told you that. It's to make sure you always have someone watching you when I can't, Jack I'm not going to be around all the time like I want to. Now come on, your Uncle Cole is waiting" Her father answered._

_Speaking of the man in subject he walked through the door. "Hey baby girl, is little robot nearly ready?" her Uncle asked._

_"Nearly, wait a sec- got it. Jackie take him to the nursery and be careful he's new" _

_Jack carried the small droid to her playroom and began dressing the doll up in different clothes much to the older men's amusement. Lilly came in from her small technology workshop to see what they were grinning at. _

_She shook her head "We shouldn't give her that and let her play with it alone. This place will go off in flames" Her mother warned. _

_"Then it's a good for you because if it does honey, you can slap me and prove me wrong" Her father smiled hugging her. She smiled and called them down to eat while a four year old Jack began talking to the machine as it beeped back._

_It caught a spark and few on flames making her jump back, a red hot blaze started filling over the room. It was getting hot and it started smelling bad enough that she was coughing. _

_"DADDY!" She screamed. _

_She heard her father thunder down into her room pulling her out safely with caution, while her Uncle Cole grabbed the fire extinguisher and let foam pile over the small nursery. Her once fine room for a four year old was now a winter white land_

_ "Damn man! You're going to need to get the little miss have new toy's that don't have engines" He said. Jack saw her mother glare at her father._

_ "And this is why we don't let her into the workshop alone!" Her mother slapped him across the face, he stood holding where she had slapped with his mouth gaping._

_ "Jackie you're grounded!" He whispered into her ear. "But daddy!" She complained._


End file.
